Help me assess the risk

Fisher72 · Jan 29, 2017

So my 240 reef tank has been fallow since Dec 22nd due to what I believe was velvet. All fish have made it through Cu and are now happy in a 72 with UV, HOB and canister filter. I have a vacation planned the end of Feb. We have someone staying at the house that has watched my tank in the past but I worry about her taking care of the fish inQT for a week. We leave on the 26th of Feb, so that would put me at a little over 60 days, well short of the recommended 76 days for ick, but again I'm fairly certain I was fighting velvet.

So what is everyone's thought, should I risk putting them back in the display a couple of weeks early or risk something happening while the fish are in QT under the house sitters care? I'm very worried I'll have an ammonia spike that could snowball out of control while I'm gone.

Oscar47f · Jan 29, 2017

velvet is slightly different from ich especially because it can last longer than ich during a fallow period or so I've read,dont quote me on that though but there is the problem of adding too many fish to the system at one time... i would really wait until you are back so that you can monitor the tanks progress and fix any issues that need fixing...

Valkyrie · Jan 29, 2017

How is caring for them in QT different than in the DT?

Smo · Jan 29, 2017

Well, your 72 QT is now a stable tank with your remaining fish, correct? In other words you shouldn't be concerned with an ammonia spike provided your tank sitter doesn't attempt to do the fish a favor by over feeding. You have invested this much time and work to get to where you are now. Wouldn't it be better to wait until you return before you transfer your fish back to the DT when you are available to monitor them?

Fisher72 · Jan 29, 2017

Totally different. Tank has 200lbs of live rock plus large skimmer, carbon, gfo and UV. I could loose 4 fish and wouldn't make much of a difference in the tank chemistry. Inverts would be happy. QT could be over fed and get an ammonia spike and in one day I could lose all the fish. I don't think there is any chance I could have he do water changes, would even want to talk to her about doing them, she is over 60, can't see her carrying 5 gal buckets of water.

All the fish have been in the display, I don't expect issues moving them back.

Smo · Jan 29, 2017

So the risk is over feeding the QT while you are away. Think of all the ways that risk can be mitigated, e.g., pre-measured food amounts in a weekly pill box, automatic feeder, etc.

Valkyrie · Jan 29, 2017

Fisher72 said:
Totally different.

Thank-you for explaining. I'm leaving for a week and my husband has to care for the fish, so I wanted to know what I should worry about. :eek:

Oscar47f · Jan 29, 2017

yeah as stated above you can pre portion the food for the sitter so that only a certain amount you would feel comfortable giving would be fed each day?

melypr1985 · Jan 29, 2017

@Fisher72 I think the risk is pretty low that anything will happen in the QT while you are gone. I think, it's important to wait out the full fallow period.

For the record: velvet is 6 weeks fallow and ick is 76 days fallow. 76 days is the usual recommendation since velvet and ich look so similar sometimes and can be in play at the same time.

Fisher72 · Jan 30, 2017

Thanks Meredith. I am 95% certain it was velvet, I lost a few fish that were with me for years within 1-2 days, basically stopped eating then gone. They never showed any signs of any disease. My tangs were all swimming into power heads which also leads me to believe Velvet (some had spots). So I will be well over the 6 weeks to clear out velvet. I was also thinking to increase my water temp from 77 to 80 deg to help speed up the ick life cycle.

My current QT is a 72 with 5 Tangs including a large blond Naso along with another 15 smaller fish. I have been doing water changes 2x a week. I just started the canister filter last week it's not cycled so I don't have a real good idea how well it will be working in another 4 weeks. Assuming the canister takes off and gets working then there shouldn't be an issues in QT. If not, I fear a crash could happen while I am away.

PS. Always do premeasured food when I am away, usually less then I typically feed to reduce chances of issues.

melypr1985 · Jan 30, 2017

Fisher72 said:
I was also thinking to increase my water temp from 77 to 80 deg to help speed up the ick life cycle.

I wouldn't mess with the temp. You would still end up being fallow for the same amount of time, so there's no real need for it.

Fisher72 said:
Assuming the canister takes off and gets working then there shouldn't be an issues in QT. If not, I fear a crash could happen while I am away.

I can understand the fear behind this, so all I can do is tell you to do what you think is best. I strongly believe you should keep them in QT and let the tank go fallow the whole way, but if you just can't take the nerves/stress then switch them over (knowing that if it comes back that's probably why).

Fisher72 said:
I lost a few fish that were with me for years within 1-2 days, basically stopped eating then gone. They never showed any signs of any disease. My tangs were all swimming into power heads which also leads me to believe Velvet (some had spots)

I agree that this sounds like velvet, but my point was that ick and velvet can both be present at the same time.

Fisher72 · Jan 30, 2017

Thanks again Meredith. I think I will decide when the time gets closer. I would hate to have something happen while I'm away that requires my house/dog sitter to do major work to the QT tank.

I was also thinking to do a Black Molly test a week or so before but in this case should they end up with ick my fallow period would begin again, correct? I guess I could try them in the smaller tank connected to the main systems. This can be shut off from the main system for testing, should they develop ick it can go fallow without affecting the main system.

melypr1985 · Jan 30, 2017

Fisher72 said:
I was also thinking to do a Black Molly test a week or so before but in this case should they end up with ick my fallow period would begin again, correct?

Yes it would.

Fisher72 said:
I guess I could try them in the smaller tank connected to the main systems. This can be shut off from the main system for testing, should they develop ick it can go fallow without affecting the main system.

It would have to be shut off from the system before the fish introduced and it would have to remain that way until it's fallow period is over -again- if the molly shows ich.

Fisher72 · Jan 30, 2017

melypr1985 said:
It would have to be shut off from the system before the fish introduced and it would have to remain that way until it's fallow period is over -again- if the molly shows ich.

It is easy to shut off, I would just have to manually have to manually topoff which isn't a big deal and add a heater. I can move many the coarls that are in there before so there wouldn't be a large bioload.